


Interludes

by manka



Series: Miracles and Heroes of Thedas [3]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Awesome Varric Tethras, Cadash is a good friend, Cadash works too much, F/M, Named Cadash (Dragon Age), POV Solas, Solas (Dragon Age) is Grim and Fatalistic, Solas Angst, Solas Being Solas, The Anchor (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 17:59:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16897335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manka/pseuds/manka
Summary: Solas considers Inquisitor Maria Cadash. Inquisitor Cadash has a fatal weakness, and Fen'Harel dreads the day he will take advantage of them.#TheDreadWolfRisesPart of the Series "Miracles and Heroes"





	Interludes

**Author's Note:**

> Right, so I saw the trailer today and I couldn't stop thinking about that stupid egg, Solas. And the revelation that I am STILL not over this betrayal. 
> 
> I thought we were friends, Solas, I really did.

“Solas, I’m afraid I need your help.” Maria Cadash’s voice rang out through the rotunda and Solas’s eyes swiveled from his painting to the small woman emerging from the stairwell. Well, there should have been a small woman. Instead, there was a rather large pile of books and parchment, maps and scrolls, towering perilously. All he could see of the Inquisitor was her short dwarven legs encased up to the knee in soft doeskin boots. 

Solas quickly sat the brush down, standing gracefully and crossing the room in several long strides, lifting the top half of the stack enough to see Inquisitor Cadash’s stunning gray eyes. Solas raised his own eyebrow. “Light reading?” He asked. 

“Actually, they’re mostly gifts for you.” She said brightly. “If you can count extra work as a gift.” 

“Should you not be asleep?” Solas asked, setting a stack on the desk as Maria sat the rest of hers on the floor beside the couch, curling up onto it. “I thought you were leaving early with the Iron Bull for the coast.” 

“Don’t you start.” Maria chided. “If the Qunari want to help with Corypheus, I’m not going to spurn potential allies.”

“Some allies are more likely to betray you than assist.” Solas warned, sitting at the desk. 

“That’s what the story’s missing. A big betrayal. Varric would be thrilled by the twist ending” Maria muttered. Solas felt a weight settle over his heart like a cloud. She looked up at his silence and smiled kindly. “Solas, don’t worry. I’m not expecting much from this, but I’m willing to try. I’m pretty certain I truly only trust Iron Bull.” 

“Of course, Inquisitor.” Solas said quickly, trying to cover his slip. 

“I could name you ambassador to the Qunari.” She teased, and he couldn’t help himself, he smiled. 

“I would prefer you did not.” He said softly. “What is all of this?” 

“Corypheus is looking for Elven artifacts. We know he has one that has already caused a massive problem, I’d prefer he not find any other ones. So I’m trying to mark locations of Elven ruins on the map to get soldiers out monitoring them.” Maria explained, shaking her marked hand out. Solas zeroed in on the gesture. 

“You’re in pain.” He observed. Maria sighed, looking up wearily. 

“It’s a bad night.” She admitted. “But it’s better if I don’t think about it.” 

She never complained about how badly it must hurt, and Solas knew it must burn. Particularly when she used it often or was around strong magic. She bore it stoically with wit and grace, subtlety and elegance. He would have believed her more like an elf than a dwarf, but there was no mistaking the old song humming around her, weak but present. “Anyway.” She breezed on. “I figured you could help me mark these locations. Who knows more about elven ruins than you, right?” 

“I would be honored. I had not planned to sleep for some time either.” Solas admitted, sitting at the desk. Maria looked at the mural, smiling. 

“I like that quite a lot, you know.” She said, tilting her head to the side. “Is that going to be Adamant?” 

“It is your story, Inquisitor. Adamant is a large part of it.” He paused, watching her as she roamed the already finished paintings. The explosion at the conclave, caused by his own stupidity. The formation of the Inquisition. Redcliffe castle. The destruction of Haven. All his fault. His story and hers. 

“I like them.” She said, nodding in satisfaction. “You do good work, Messere.” 

“As do you, Inquisitor.” Solas agreed, watching as she unrolled one of the maps. He knew her fingers were calloused from bow strings and dagger handles, her shoulders slumped with the cares of Thedas. She had received word today that Varric, Cassandra, and Dorian had slipped into Tevinter, but had said nothing about it. Still, he could read the stress in the tightness of her mouth, the curling and uncurling of her fingers on the hand bearing the anchor.  

She had one flaw, a fatal one for a leader. She cared and was unswervingly loyal to her companions. She would do anything from organizing a march for Sera to accompanying Dorian to meet his father in Redcliffe. She had shown, time and time again, that her open heart was her weak spot. And someday, he would pierce it. 

Or, he could tell her. There was something impossible in that, but he thought she would accept it. He could throw himself at her mercy and she would help him recover the orb, no more lies. With the orb, his power would be fully returned, and he could remove that anchor from her hand. He could use it to slowly dissolve the veil, perhaps allow the two worlds to merge. It may take years, but he had the time. If he explained, she would understand. She may help him, limit the destruction. 

The others would whisper against him in her ear, urge her to stop him. And if more drastic actions were needed… no, Inquisitor Cadash would not concede to fire and fury. He knew her too well. 

“There’s a distinct lack of work going on over there, Solas.” She observed wryly with a cheeky grin. “Keep staring and Varric is going to get jealous.” 

Ah, the other weakness. Master Tethras did not see the way Maria smiled after him when he walked away, the small grin when his name up. She loved him, deeply. “That would be a sight to see.” Solas murmured, dropping his head to the book as she laughed. “You are an excellent leader and a good friend, Inquisitor.” 

“Solas! If you compliment me out of the blue like that, my ego may get too big for this castle.” She smiled and stretched. 

“What will you do with any items you find in Elven ruins?” He asked, running his thumb over the fine print before him. 

“I imagine keep them safe until we deal with Corypheus. Then, I don’t know. They belong to the elves, I’ll have to figure out some way to repatriate them. Divide them up among the Dalish clans? Send them to the alienages? I’m open to suggestions.” She said warmly. 

“Perhaps the elves do not want it back.” Solas ventured. 

“Well, I’ve received plenty of gifts I didn’t want in my life and it didn’t kill me. It’s not my history or culture, I don’t have much right to it. We’ll get it to the people who do have a right to it, and they can complain then.” Maria said with an air of finality. “Unless anyone comes up with a better idea. What do you think?” 

He opened his mouth to tell her, but his mind was not on the words. 

All he could think was that someday, he would use this weakness. He would use her compassion and respect. If she were his enemy, what would he not use against her? Her friends, her lover, her duty?

Someday, he would crush her loyal heart. 


End file.
